Starring: John Gilbert, Gertrude Olmstead, Jean Arthur, Alan Hale, Peter Burke, Phillips Smalley, Eugenie Forde, Eric Mayne, Richard Tucker, W.E. Lawrence, Jack McDonald
Writer: Robert N. Lee (based on the play by Booth Tarkington & Harry Leon Wilson)
Cinematography: George Schneiderman
B&W, 1h 10m. 1.33:1 presentation.
Released on: October 21, 1923 by Fox Film Corporation.
My experience: YouTube
I don't think I can honestly give a proper review for this film, as the only transfer I could find of this film was of horrendous quality. It looks like a VHS rip of a copy of the film that would have been shown on Portuguese (Brazilian?) television in the 1980s or 1990s. On top of that, there is no soundtrack to be heard, so believe me when I say it was a chore to sit through.
The story as far as I could tell has John Gilbert as the title character, who is unfairly accused of killing Colonel Randall (Eric Mayne), and with the help of his assistant/friend Moreau (Alan Hale), must convince the family of the deceased of his innocence before wooing his love (and the victim's daughter), Adele Randall (Gertrude Olmstead). Jean Arthur, who would become a star in the 1930s, plays a judge's daughter in a small (perhaps overbilled) role.
Like I said, the film was really hard to watch. I caught moments that would have been quite impressive to see on the big screen in 1923 (namely a race between four steamships, which looks like it was shot for real, and not using miniatures, and some nice camera trickery involving a wishing well). But I can't honestly say that this was worth the 70 minutes it took to watch. I won't give it a review, as I think the degraded elements of the print and lack of any kind of soundtrack affected my concentration and hence judgment of the film. For completists only.
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